Feb 12 2012

Lesson 22 – Alma Teaches Faith

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Lesson 22
Alma Teaches Faith 

Preparation
• Items needed: a 16 oz. empty water bottle, vinegar, baking soda, a balloon, an apple or orange seed, small Ziplock baggies, a disposable plastic cup of soil for each child, and a cantaloupe or watermelon seed for each child.

•Put two tablespoons of the vinegar into the plastic bottle and one teaspoon of the baking soda into the balloon. Put each cup of soil and seed in a Ziplock bag.
• Print and cut out the visual aids.

Attention Activity
Show the children the bottle and tell them that it contains vinegar. Allow them to smell it. Show the children the balloon and tell them it contains baking soda. Inform the children that if you were to put the balloon on the bottle and combine the vinegar and baking soda it would produce a gas that would inflate the balloon. Ask the children if they believe you.

Ask the children how they could find out for themselves if what you told them is true. (They would have to try it out to see if it works.) Allow a volunteer to try the experiment. Direct the volunteer to stretch the opening of the balloon over the opening of the bottle without spilling the contents of the balloon into the bottle. After the balloon is attached, direct the child to lift up the balloon and empty its contents into the bottle.

• After the balloon inflates, point out that they were able to discover the truth of what you told them by trying it out. Ask how they could use that same method to find out if a gospel principle is true? (Read Alma 32:27)

Explain that today’s lesson is about developing faith in God through experimenting on the word of God by applying it into our lives.

Scripture Story
Remind the children of last week’s lesson concerning Alma and his companions going to the land of the Zoramites to preach the gospel. After observing the prayers of the proud Zoramites on the Rameumptom, Alma and his companions commenced to preach the gospel. They began to have success among the poor because the poor were not allowed to worship God in the synagogues which they had help build. The poor had been cast out of the synagogues because of their coarse apparel.

One day a large group of the poor approached Alma as he was teaching. They told Alma they had no place to worship God, and they asked him what they should do. Alma taught them that they could worship God anywhere–in their fields, in their houses, and in the wilderness–and they needed to cry to Him in all their afflictions. Alma saw that their afflictions had humbled them, and they were ready to hear the word of God.

• How was being poor a blessing for the Zoramites? (Read Alma 32:12-13) It helped them to be humble and seek for wisdom from God.

The poor Zoramites were compelled to be humble by their poverty, but they still had the choice whether or not to listen to the words of the Lord, and because they chose to listen they were blessed.

• Read Alma 32:14-15. Why is it better to humble ourselves than to be compelled to be humble? We reduce the difficulties in our life that are sent as  reminders for us to be humble. We also are blessed for being obedient.

• Why is it important for us to be humble? Those who are humble are more likely to listen to and obey the Lord’s instructions because they realize the need for the Lord’s help and direction in life.

• What is something that can lead people to humble themselves without the compulsion of difficulties? (See Alma 32:13- 14) The word of God. Explain that when we read the scriptures or hear a talk or lesson at church, we may experience a desire to repent of something we are doing that is not right.

Alma also taught the Zoramites about having faith in in the word of God.

• What is faith? (Read Alma 32:21) To believe in something that is real and true, even though we haven’t seen it for ourselves, is to have faith. The Lord wants us to faith in him: that he lives, loves us, and that his words are truth. Alma taught the poor Zoramites how to develop that faith in God.

Show the children the fruit tree seed and tell them what type of seed it is. Explain that the seed could grow into a large fruit tree. Ask the children what they would need to do first in order to get the seed to grow. (Plant it in soil.) (Show the children the illustration of the seed and the soil.)

Alma told the Zoramites that the word of God is like a seed. When we listen to and have a desire to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we plant the word of God in our hearts.

• Where do we hear the word of God?  In primary lessons, sacrament meeting talks, conference talks, family home evening lessons, family scripture study, etc.

• What happens to a seed when it is planted in the ground? If it is a good seed it begins to swell, and then it sprouts and begins to grow. (Show the picture of the growing seed.) (Alma 32:30)

Explain that after we have heard the word of God and have a desire to believe, we can then experiment on His words by trying them out. When we do this, a swelling of understanding in our heart begins to grow, and we see that the word of God is good. (Alma 32:28)

Once we see that the seed is good, the sprouting plants needs to be nourished in order to grow. (Alma 32:37)

•  What does it mean to nourish a plant? (To feed it and provide all the things it needs in order to grow.) What kinds of nourishment does a plant need in order to grow? (Show the children the picture of the plant food, the watering can, the rain, and the sun cutout as each item is mentioned, and explain that we must make sure the plant gets enough water, sun, and fertilizer.)

•What kind of things will nourish our faith in the word of God? (Answers might include listening to the testimonies of others, seeking for the witness of the Holy Ghost concerning the truth of the word, listening to the words of the prophet, and continuing to exercise our growing faith through studying and acting upon the words of God.)

• What would happen if we neglected the care of a growing plant such as not watering it. (It would stop growing, and it would eventually wither up and die.) (Alma 32:38)  Does that mean the seed was bad? (No, it means we didn’t do our part to help it grow, and because of that we will not enjoy the fruit that would have grown on it.)

•What happens if we neglect to nourish our growing testimony? (It could wither, die, and be cast aside.) Does that mean the word was not good? (No, it means we did not do our part to help our faith in the word of God grow.) (Alma 32:39)

• What happens when we nourish and take care of a young plant? (It grows) Show a picture of a young sapling tree and ask the children if the young tree is strong enough to withstand the damaging forces in the world. Explain that weeds could choke  it out, bugs and animals could eat it, and wind and objects could knock it over and break its tender trunk. A young growing plant needs continual care and protection from damaging influences.

• How can we protect our growing testimony from the harm and damaging influences of the world? (Pull out the weeds of sin that choke out our desire for good, put protective barriers around ourselves by avoiding things that would tempt us, and attach supporting lines of strength by going to church and mingling with others who are also seeking to grow strong testimonies.)

• Ask the children if they believe a small sapling can grow into a big tree with proper care. How long would it take for this to happen? (Many years)

Alma tells us we need to have patience and diligence in nourishing our faith as it develops and grows. (Alma 32:41)

• Show a picture of a full grown tree and ask if the children think it is stronger than a sapling. Point out the tough bark, the wide trunk, and the thick branches that help protect it from damage. Explain that when we develop strong faith in Jesus Christ and his words, we are less likely to be influenced by the harmful evils that are around us.

• Once a fruit tree has grown, it begins to produce fruit and then the harvest comes. What is the fruit of faith? Alma said the fruit of the tree is sweet above all that is sweet, and that it is white, precious, and pure. If we partake of this fruit and feast upon it we will be filled and not hunger or thirst. The fruit is the blessings that come from living the gospel, which include the blessings and joys of eternal life. (Alma 32:42)

• When a tree is grown and producing fruit are we done? (No, we need to continue to nourish it, take care of it, and protect it from harm. If we don’t do these things the tree may suffer from neglect, become open to disease and bug damage, and it may stop producing good fruit.)

• When we have developed a strong faith in Jesus Christ and his words, are we done working? (No, we must continue doing all the things that made our faith strong. We must continue caring for and nourishing our testimony. If we neglect to do this we may become open to the damaging influences and temptations of the world, which could cause the loss of the blessings we worked so hard for.)

Conclusion
Emphasize that just as a good seed with proper care and nourishment can eventually become a fruit bearing tree, if we will learn the word of God, plant it in our hearts, and properly nourish it, our faith in God will grow strong and produce many blessings.

Give each child a cup of soil and a seed. Tell them they can plant the seed in the soil, but they must nourish and take care of it if they want it to grow. Explain that if they will put the plant in their garden after it begins to grow and then continue to take care of it, within a few months it will produce a delicious fruit. Explain that the plant will be a reminder for them to nourish their faith in God and to have patience and diligence as they do this. If they will do the things necessary to nourish their faith, their faith will grow and produce many wonderful blessings.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 32:1-43

Feb 8 2012

Lesson 21 – Zoramite’s Prayers on a Rameumptom

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Lesson 21
Zoramite’s Prayers on a Rameumptom

Preparation

  • Items needed:  tape, wet wipes, a paper plate, two mixing bowls, a half cup measure, a tablespoon measure, two wooden spoons, and the ingredients to make the peanut butter candy recipe (the recipe can be found in the visual aid file). Also bring some strange and unusual substitute ingredients such as bread crumbs for the graham crackers, applesauce for the sweetener, whole peanuts for the peanut butter, dried pieces of prunes for the chocolate chips.  (Important Note: Be aware of any food allergies before giving children food.)
  •  Print and cut out the activity and scripture story visual aids. Cut apart each level of the Rameumptom so there are seven pieces. Be prepared to build the Rameumpton on the chalk board.

Attention Activity

Put the bowl, spoon, and measuring items on the table and explain to the children that you are going to make some peanut butter candy for them. Show them the recipe, but then toss it aside. Tell the children that you have decided not to follow the recipe because you want to try some different ingredients. Show the children the substitute ingredients you brought, and then mix together various amounts of those ingredients. (Be sure to mention the correct recipe ingredients as you do this. For example: “The recipe calls for peanut butter, but I want the candy to be really crunchy so I think I will add whole peanuts.”)

After combining the substitute ingredients show the children the results. Ask them if they think the mixture looks like peanut butter candy.

Ask the children what the results would be if someone tried to make up their own ingredients for gaining salvation instead of following Heavenly Father’s plan. Would they get the desired results? Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will be learning about a group of people who tried to do just that.

Scripture Story
Remind the children of last week’s lesson about Korihor. Ask if they remember what happened to him after he lost his ability to speak. (He found it necessary to beg for food, and eventually he was trodden down among a people that called themselves the Zoramites.) The Zoramites had once been members of the church, but they had fallen away and apostatized. Apostasy means a turning away from something. The Zoramites had turned away from the teachings of the church and had tried to make up their own form of religion and own ingredients for salvation.

• Why might some people try to make up their own form of religion? One reason is to make a religion agree with what they want. What did the Zoramites desire? (Read Alma 31:24-25) They wanted to indulge in wickedness and the pride of worldly riches.

The Zoramites had discontinued obeying the commandments, they had stopped praying to God daily, and they had altered the teachings of the church to suit what they desired. (See Alma 31:9-11)

The Zoramite people lived near the borders of the wilderness, and the wilderness was full of Lamanites. Because the Zoramites had dissented from the Nephites, the Nephites were afraid the Zoramites would try to join with the Lamanites.

Alma knew that the word of God had a powerful effect upon a man’s heart, so he and several others (including two of his sons, three of the sons of Mosiah, Amulek, and Zeezrom) went to preach the word of God to the Zoramites.

• Ask the children if they can recall a time when a scripture they read or a teaching they heard at church motivated them to change.

When Alma and his companions came into the land of the Zoramites, they were astonished at what they found. The Zoramites were gathering once a week in synagogues they had built (houses of worship), but their worship was not like anything Alma and his companions had ever seen before. In the center of the synagogue was a tower where one person at a time could stand. This tower was called a Rameumptom – meaning holy stand. (Put the picture of the Rameumptom and the worshiper on the board.) Whoever desired to worship would go onto the Rameumptom, stretch up his arms toward heaven, and speak with a loud voice the following prayer: Read Alma 31:15-16

• Why did the Zoramites choose to believe in incorrect principles about God, and why did they not want to believe in Christ? One possible reason may have been to deny the doctrine of the plan of salvation – of coming to earth to get a body and be tested. They wanted to think they were elected (chosen) to be saved regardless of what they did. They did not want to believe in sin or the need for a Savior.

• In the Zoramite’s prayer they did not ask God for help in dealing with the challenges of life. Did the Zoramites have faith in God answering their prayers? Faith in God comes through learning of Him and doing His will.

Above the picture of the person worshiping on the Rameumptom put up the sign that says “The Zoramite’s Prayer.” Underneath the picture put up the sign that says “1) lacked faith in God and in Christ.”

Have a child read out loud the next part of the Zoramite prayer found in Alma 31:17-18. Put the next sign up that says “2) was selfish and prideful.”  Explain that the Zoramites wanted to view themselves as the chosen and saved ones and that all others would suffer in hell.

• If the Zoramites did not have faith in God, what might have been the purpose of their elaborate prayers? They may have been using the prayers to reinforce their false beliefs, and they also appeared to be using the prayers to elevate themselves above others and declare that they were better than everyone else.

• In what ways might people think they are better than others and become lifted up in pride? Answers might include the following: people may think they are better than others because of how smart,  pretty or handsome, athletic, wealthy, or talented they are. (Build the Rameumptom tower on the board as each answer is given.)

After hearing a Zoramite prayer Alma and his fellow missionaries were astonished. As they continued to watch, they realized that every man who went onto the tower offered the same prayer. Then, after the Zoramite people had offered up their prayers, they returned to their homes, not speaking of God again until they had assembled themselves together again at the Rameumptom. Put up the last sign “3) were repetitious and insincere.”

When Alma saw the prayers of the Zoramites his heart was grieved for he saw they were a wicked people. He lifted his voice up to heaven in prayer. (Put the picture of Alma praying on the board.) Alma prayed for strength and patience in afflictions. He prayed for comfort for himself and his companions, and he prayed for success in bringing souls to Christ.

Put the sign “Alma’s Prayer” above the picture of Alma. Underneath the picture put up the following signs as you read and discuss each one.

1) showed faith in God and Jesus Christ
Alma petitioned the Lord for blessings in his prayer. He had faith that the Lord would bless and help him.

2) was humble and not selfish.
Alma prayed for others.

• How can we humble ourselves so we are not lifted up in pride? (Have the children take off a level of the Rameumpton tower for every answer they give.) Answers may include the following: by remembering that our gifts, talents, and abilities come from the Lord, by praying for humility, by looking for the good in others, by building love for others by praying for them and serving  them.

3) was not repetitious or insincere
Alma prayer was not repetitious or insincere because he was praying for specific needs.

• What happens if we don’t pray daily and sincerely? We tend to lose the guidance of the Spirit, which is essential for managing the challenges and temptations of life. What was the result of the Zoramites not praying daily? They succumbed to Satan’s temptations.

After Alma said the words of his prayer, he put his hands upon his companions, which probably meant he set them apart for their assignments or gave them a special blessing to face the difficult challenges ahead. As he did this they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion Activity
Remind the children of the wrong ingredients used for making peanut butter candy, and remind them of the wrong ingredients for salvation that the Zoramites followed.

Point out that just as there are wrong ingredients for making peanut butter candy and wrong ingredients to gaining salvation, there are also right ingredients. Show the children the right ingredients for the peanut butter candy.

• What would be some of the right ingredients for gaining salvation? Obey God’s commandments, gain an understanding of correct doctrine, have faith in Jesus Christ, be humble, pray daily, etc.

Measure out and mix the correct candy ingredients. Have the children wash their hands with wet wipes, and then give them each a spoonful of the mixture. Have them roll their candy into balls and then coat them with coconut or sprinkles. Invite them to taste the finished product. Point out how sweet and delicious it is. Explain that just as we enjoyed the benefits of following the correct recipe for peanut butter candy, if we will follow the correct steps for attaining eternal salvation we can one day enjoy all the wonderful blessings related to gaining eternal life.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 31:1-25

Feb 4 2012

Lesson 20 – Korihor, the Anti-Christ

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Lesson 20
Korihor, the Anti-Christ

Preparation
• Print the scripture story visuals aids. (The scripture story visuals come from chapter twenty-seven of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Items needed: a fake diamond jewelry item and a real diamond jewelry item (or pictures of real and fake diamonds), a set of scriptures for each child, tape, a display board, and a writing instrument for the display board.
•Print and cut out the activity visuals.

Attention Activity
Show the children the jewelry items. Explain that one of the jewelry items has fake diamonds in it and one has real diamonds in it. Ask the children how much value a fake diamond would have. Then ask how much value a real diamond would have. Ask the children if they can tell which diamond is real and which is fake. Reveal which diamond is real.

Tell the children that there has been an increasing amount of imitation diamonds introduced into the world that some people try to pass off as the real thing. It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake. Many people are fooled into paying large amounts for fake items that are worthless.

Also explain that there has been an increasing amount of false teachings about religion being spread throughout the world, and many people have a hard time telling the difference between what is priceless truth and what is worthless lies. People are paying dearly with the consequences of buying into the deceptions.

Explain that in today’s lesson they will be learning how to distinguish between the false teachings and the truth.

Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the scripture story visual aids.

The Nephites were enjoying a time of peace and righteousness, but this period was disrupted when a man named Korihor came into the land of Zarahemla. He was an Anti-Christ.

• What is an Anti-Christ? It is someone who is in opposition to Christ and His gospel.

(Put the word strips of Korihor’s false teachings on the board as each is mentioned.) Korihor preached against the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ. He said that no man can know of things to come. He said there can be no such thing as an atonement and no need for one because whatever a man does is not a crime. He said people prospered because of their own intelligence and strength, and their beliefs in Christ were foolish traditions that were binding them down. He also said he did not believe in the resurrection. He taught that when a man died, that was the end. Korihor’s preaching’s lead away the hearts of many to wickedness.

• Why was Korihor able to lead away people with what he taught? The things he taught were attractive to the carnal mind, the side that wants to enjoy the carnal pleasures of the world without consequences.

• Do some people in the world today teach the same philosophies of Korihor?

After teaching in Zarahemla, Korihor tried his preachings upon the people of Ammon. The people of Ammon had once been Lamanites, and they would not listen to Korihor. He was cast out of their land.

• Why do you suppose the people of Ammon would not listen to Korihor? The people of Ammon had lived most of their lives following Korihor-like-beliefs, and they knew the heartache, the misery, and the destruction it can cause in people’s lives.

Ammon’s people provide good examples of how we should respond when we are confronted with people like Korihor. We should not listen to those who would tear down our faith.

Korihor also tried to preach in the land of Gideon. He was eventually bound and taken before the chief judge and before Alma the high priest.

• What law did Korihor break that caused him to be brought before the chief judge? He wasn’t taken before the chief judge for preaching his beliefs. Everyone was free to choose what they believed, but there was a law against unbelievers persecuting members and seeking to destroy the church, and Korihor had been breaking that law.

When Korihor was brought before Alma, Korihor condemned the priests of the land and began contending that they were teaching about Christ to get power and authority over the people so they could glut themselves upon the people’s labor.

Alma knew the truth of the matter. He pointed out that Korihor knew that neither he nor his bretheren had ever received any money for their labors in behalf of the church. Alma had labored with his own hands for his own support. The only profit he and his bretheren recieved for the labor they performed in the church was to rejoice in the happiness of their brethren.

• Why would Korihor try to falsely condemn the priests of taking advantage of the people for profit? To deceive people into leaving the church.

Alma asked Korihor if he believed there was a God. Korihor said he did not believe there was a God. Alma asked what evidence Korihor had that there was not a God.

In Korihor’s preaching’s he had said that we can’t know of things we have not seen. He argued that a person who had not seen God could not know of his existence.

• Ask the children to think of a place they have never visited that exists. Why do you believe that place exists? Just as we have other’s accounts to help us know of places we have not seen, we have the testimonies of prophets, the scriptures, and the Holy Ghost to help us know that God exists.

• Alma stated that Korihor did know there was a God, but he was lying because the devil had power over him. How was Alma able to discern that Korihor was lying? Through the Holy Ghost

Korihor said if Alma would show him a sign of the power of God then he would believe. Alma said Korihor had signs enough through the scriptures, the testimony of others, the words of the prophets, all things on the earth, and the regular movement of the planets. All these things indicate there is a God who is the supreme creator.

Alma was grieved at the hardness of Korihor’s heart. He also grieved that Korihor’s soul would be destroyed, but Alma felt it was better that one soul be lost than Korihor should be the means of the destruction of many souls by his lying and flattering words. Alma told Korihor that if he denied God again then God would smite him, and Korihor would become dumb and not be able to speak his deceit any more.

Korihor once again said he did not believe there was a God. Through the power of God, Korihor was then struck dumb. When the chief judge saw this he wrote to Korihor, “Are you now convinced of the power of God?” Korihor wrote that only the power of God could strike him dumb, and that he had always believed there was a God.

Korihor said the devil deceived him; that he appeared to him in the form of an angel and told him to go and reclaim the people because they had all gone astray after an unknown God. The devil had said there was no God, and he taught Korihor what he should say.

• Why would Satan want people to believe there is no God? One reason is that when a belief in God and his teachings are taken away, living a moral and virtuous life no longer seems important. Satan wants to destroy people’s lives through getting them to sin.

• Why did Korihor teach what Satan told him? (See Alma 30:53) Korihor was attracted to what Satan taught because it was pleasing to the carnal mind.

• What does it mean to be carnally minded? It means to focus on physical pleasures and material things.

Korihor wrote some words beseeching Alma to pray to God to have the curse removed. Alma said that if the curse was removed from Korihor he would once again lead away the hearts of the people.

• Why would Korihor continue to do evil even after seeing the truth? Remind the children that carnal desires were very pleasing to Korihor. Satan had a strong hold on Korihor.

The curse was not taken from Korihor, and he found it necessary to go from house to house begging for food in order to sustain himself.  Korihor had taught that people prospered because of their own intelligence and strength, but he learned that we are dependent on the Lord for everything we have.

The knowledge of what happened to Korihor was published throughout all the land. The people who had believed the words of Korihor were told they should speedily repent lest the same judgments come upon them. They repented, and that was the end to the iniquity of Korihor.

As Korihor went around begging for food, he went to a people that had separated themselves from the Nephites. They taught Korihor-like-beliefs in their community. They were called Zoramites. As Korihor went among them he was trampled to death.

• Why would a people, who believed the same as Korihor, treat him in such a way? Their beliefs promoted the idea that they should look down on those who were less fortunate than themselves. They also believed that no matter what they did, their actions were not considered to be sin.

•Would beliefs such as these cause a lot of suffering and pain in the world?

• Does Satan support those who serve him? (See Alma 30:60) What does Heavenly Father do for those who serve him? (See Mosiah 2:41)

Conclusion Activity
Remind the children of the real and fake diamonds. Explain that Satan has a counterfeit or opposite teaching for every teaching of Jesus Christ, but because Satan’s counterfeits are worthless they do not bring real happiness or satisfaction.

• How can a person tell if a diamond is real or fake? It takes special equipment and study to be able to tell the difference.

• What is the special equipment we have been given to help us identify the difference between false teachings and true teachings? The scriptures, the Holy Ghost (remind the children that Alma was able to discern Korihor’s lies through the Holy Ghost), and we also have access to trained experts through the living prophets.

Post the cutout diamonds on the board next to the false teachings of Korihor. Explain that the diamonds represent real diamonds and true doctrine. Have all the children look up the first diamond scripture. Have one child read the scripture out loud. Discuss the scripture and point out that there are many more scriptures about the same subject. Explain that the more we learn about something, the more expert we become at telling the difference between the truth and its fake imitation.

Instruct the child to take the opposing counterfeit teaching off the board. After all the scriptures have been read, and all the counterfeit teachings are off the board, explain that there are many more false beliefs and ideas Satan is spreading throughout the world. Satan uses many marketing strategies to spread and sell his false doctrines such as media, music, movies, commercials, books, etc.

• What will be the price we pay if we “buy” into Satan’s false doctrine? Unhappiness, loss of eternal salvation, etc.

Remind the children that when we take advantage of the tools and experts that we have been given, then we can have the satisfaction and joy of enjoying true doctrines of great worth that bring real happiness.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 30:5-60

 

Answers to Diamond Activity:

False Doctrine                                                                                                               Truth
There will be no Christ for no man can know of things to come.                         D&C 76:10, 8

Whatever a man does is no crime. There is no such thing as sin.                        2 Nephi 2:13

There is no need for, and can be no such thing as an atonement.                        Alma 34:9

People prosper because of their own intelligence and strength.                        D&C 130:20-21

Foolish beliefs in Christ bind you down.                                                                   John 8:32 -36

There will be no resurrection, no life after death.                                                   Alma11:42-43

Jan 28 2012

Lesson 18 – King Lamoni’s Father

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Lesson 18
King Lamoni’s Father

Preparation

  • Print the scripture story visual aids. Cut each page in half (except for the last page) so that one picture is on each half. Number the back of each picture according to the order they were printed. Roll the last printed page into a scroll and tie it with a string.  (Note: The visual aids are from chapters twenty-four and twenty-five of Book of Mormon Stories.)
  •  Items needed: a television, a DVD or video player, a shirt that can be damaged, a bar of soap, a large plastic garbage bag, items that can be used to stain the shirt such as chocolate syrup, mustard, mud, ketchup, oil, etc.
  •  Obtain the video or DVD of Book of Mormon Presentations from your meetinghouse library, or download chapter 30  “The Mediator” onto your computer.

Attention Activity
Show the children the shirt you brought, and lay it on top of a spread out plastic garbage bag. Explain to the children that sin is like dirt and stains. Apply staining items to the shirt as you mention sins that stain our spirits, such as lying, stealing, hate, etc. (The garbage bag is to help prevent spills on the carpet.) Ask the children how they would feel if they had to wear the dirty shirt and how they would feel if they could never change the shirt or take a shower.

• Would it be difficult going out among people in that state?  Would we feel comfortable in heaven being among spiritually clean people if we have stains of sin upon us?

Show the children the soap and explain that just like we have soap to clean our bodies and our clothes, Heavenly Father has provided a way for us to become clean from our sins. He provided a Savior for us who took upon himself our sins.

The Lamanites were a people who did not know they could be cleansed of their sins. They lived daily with the guilt and horror of their sinful actions.

Tell the children that in today’s lesson they will learn about a Lamanite king who learned about the atonement of Christ and about how he could be free of sin through repentance.

Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the pictures from chapters twenty-four and twenty-five of Book of Mormon Storiesas visual aids. Before telling the story, put all the pictures on the chalk board in random order. As you tell the story, stop at the end of each numbered paragraph and have the children find the picture that goes with that part. Check the number on the back of the picture to make sure if it matches the paragraph’s number. Before starting, remind the children of Ammon and the conversion of King Lamoni and his people. (Note: It is important to make time for the video presentation in this lesson. Simplify the scripture story by cutting out the activity part if needed.)

1) After the church was established among King Lamoni’s people, the king wanted Ammon to go with him to the land of Nephi to meet his father who was king over all the land. But the Lord told Ammon he should not go to the land of Nephi because Lamoni’s father would seek to kill him. The Lord told Ammon that instead he should go to Middoni because his brother Aaron and a couple of his companions were in prison there. Ammon told Lamoni what the Lord had told him. Lamoni said he would go with Ammon to help get his brethren out of prison.

2) As they were traveling to Middoni they met Lamoni’s father. Lamoni’s father asked Lamoni why he had not come to the feast he had prepared, and he asked where Lamoni was going with a Nephite. Lamoni told his father that he and his people had received the word of God from Ammon, and that he was going to help get Ammon’s brethren out of prison.

3) Lamoni’s father was angry with Lamoni for helping a Nephite, and he commanded his son to slay Ammon. He called Ammon a thief and a liar. Lamoni refused to slay Ammon. He told his father that he knew Ammon and his brethren were just men and prophets of God.

4) When Lamoni’s father heard this he became very angry and drew his sword to smite Lamoni.

• Would Lamoni’s father have regretted it if he had hurt his son? Most likely. One reason the Lord tells us we should not become angry with others is because it can lead to bigger sins. Anger can cause us to say and do things that could seriously hurt others. It is an easy thing to get angry, but it shows strength to control our emotions.

5) When the king tried to smite Lamoni, Ammon stood forward and prevented him from harming Lamoni. The king tried to kill Ammon instead. Ammon withstood him and overpowered him.

6) The king pled with Ammon to spare his life, and he offered Ammon whatever he wished, even half his kingdom. Ammon made the king promise to help him get his brethren out of prison.

7) He also wanted the king to allow Lamoni to retain his kingdom and govern it without interference. The king was surprised that Ammon asked nothing for himself. He was also astonished when he saw the love Ammon had for his son.

8) He told Ammon he would grant his desires, and he asked that Ammon and his brethren come to his kingdom so he could learn more about what they were teaching.

• Why had it been better for Ammon to meet Lamoni’s father away from the king’s own lands? If Lamoni’s father had met Ammon in his palace and lands, he would have had Ammon killed or imprisoned without getting to know him. Because of the way they met, Lamoni’s father had the opportunity to see Ammon’s good example of love, kindness, and unselfishness.

9) After the encounter with Lamoni’s father, Ammon and Lamoni proceeded to Middoni and were able get Ammon’s brethren released. Ammon was sorrowful when he saw how badly his brethren had been treated and how much they had suffered.

Aaron and his companions had fallen among a stiff-necked and hardened people. These hard hearted people were a sect of Nephite apostates. These apostate people would not listen to them, and they mocked Aaron and his companions and treated them harshly.

Aaron and his companions had been patient in their afflictions because the Lord had told them if they were patient in affliction he would bless them with success as missionaries.

• What did Aaron and his companions do after being released from prison? (See Alma 21:15) After Aaron and his brethren were released from prison they continued preaching in the land.

10) They were led by the spirit to the Land of Nephi where Lamoni’s father dwelled. Aaron and his brethren went to the king’s palace and introduced themselves as the brethren of Ammon.

11) The king wanted to learn about what they were teaching. Aaron taught him from the scriptures.

• What was the first thing Aaron taught Lamoni’s father? (See Alma 22:7–8) That there is a God.

• Why did Aaron first teach Lamoni’s father about a belief in God before teaching him anything else? People will not obey God until they know and believe that there is a God. They also need to understand God’s plan: that he created the earth for us to gain bodies, and he gave us commandments to help us become like him. Aaron also taught that because of mortality and the weaknesses of the flesh, we will all make mistakes and sin. He taught that we needed a Savior in order to return to God’s presence and gain eternal life.

12) The king wanted to know what he needed to do to gain the eternal life which Aaron had taught him about. He said he would give all he possessed, even his kingdom, to gain this great blessing and joy. Aaron told the king that he needed to bow down before God, repent, and call upon God in faith and belief.

13) Others had bowed down to the king during his life, now he must bow down before the greatest of all kings. The king got upon his knees and cried mightily unto God. He wanted to know that there is a God.

14) When the king said these words, he was struck as if dead. The servants ran and told the queen all that had happened. When she saw the king lying as if he were dead, and Aaron standing over him, she was angry and commanded the servants to take Aaron and his brethren and slay them. But the servants had seen the cause of the king’s fall, and they dared not to touch Aaron and his brethren. When the queen saw the fear of the servants, she began to fear Aaron also, so she sent the servants to call the people so that they might slay Aaron.

15) When Aaron saw the determination of the queen, and because he knew the hardness of the hearts of the people, he took the king’s hand and raised him. When the queen and the servants saw this they marveled and began to fear. The king ministered to them, and the whole household was converted.

16) A multitude had gathered because of the commands of the queen, and they were murmuring because of Aaron and his brethren. The king went among them and ministered to them, and they were pacified. When the king saw they were pacified, he had Aaron and his brethren preach to them.

They king had experienced a conversion similar to his son Lamoni. He had been overcome by the power of the Spirit because he had the desire to learn the truth. This type of conversion is unusual, but because of the things these two leaders learned from the Spirit, many others were influenced as well.

The king sent a proclamation to all his people. (Show the scroll to the children and ask them what they think the king told his people, then have someone read the scroll out loud.) After this proclamation, Aaron and his brethren went from city to city preaching and establishing churches. They began to have great success, and thousands were brought to the knowledge of God.

Video Presentation

Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation included a Savior to pay the price for our sins. Without Jesus Christ’s atonement we could not be forgiven of our sins. To help the children understand this concept show them the ten minute video of “The Mediator.” Ask the following questions after the video.

• In the video a man borrowed a large amount of money. He was warned by his friends not to take on the debt. What did the debt represent? Our wrong actions (sins) we commit on earth. The man in the video got into debt because he wanted to do and have the things he wanted right then. He thought he could pay the debt back later, just like some people think that they can commit sin and then repent and fix the sin later.

• Why was the man not able to pay back the debt? The debt was too big for him to handle. He also wasted time he could have put toward working to pay it back. Sin is too big for us to fix on our own, and sometimes we waste our opportunities to try and fix our mistakes.

• What did the settlement day (the day the loan was due) represent? Judgment Day, which is when we will be judged according to what we did in mortal life. We will be held accountable for our sins and have to pay the price for them.

• What was going to be the price the man had to pay because he couldn’t pay his debt? He was going to lose everything and go to prison.

• If justice demanded the man pay the debt, why would mercy interfere with justice? If mercy is extended then justice is not met.

• What is needed for both mercy and justice to be served? A mediator. Someone who will pay the contract price that is due.

• The man in the video had a friend who paid the debt for him, but the amount was probably a big sacrifice for his friend to pay. Why did the man’s friend pay his debt? The friend loved him and didn’t want to see him go to prison.

• Who did the friend represent? Jesus Christ

• How did Jesus pay our spiritual debt for sin? He took upon himself our sins and suffered and paid the price for them.

* Jesus Christ took upon himself our debt. How can we repay him? We can never repay the debt we owe the Lord, but He offers us forgiveness of our sins if we abide by the terms which He has set, which is to repent and keep the commandments.

Remind the children of the object lesson at the beginning of the lesson, and remind the children of how wonderful it is that we can be clean of sin because of what the Jesus Christ did for us. Bear testimony of your gratitude for the atonement.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week:
Alma 20:1-30, Alma 22:1-26, and Alma 23:1, 4-5

Jan 26 2012

Lesson 17 – Ammon – A Mighty Missionary

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Lesson 17
Ammon – A Mighty Missionary

Preparation
• Items needed: several wrapped treats, a plate or platter for the treats, tape, marbles (or some other small, heavy  items), a few small vegetables, a Kleenex, a large rubber band, a large clear vase or jar, 26 inches of cord or twine, a small piece of thick cloth, several four inch square pieces of paper, and some thick thread.
• Print and cut out the activity visual aids. Tape each gospel blessing card to a wrapped treat.
• Tape the pictures of the sheep to the inside of the large clear vase. Separate the two layers of a Kleenex sheet. Cover the top opening of the vase with one layer of the Kleenex. Put a large rubber band around the Kleenex to secure it. The Kleenex should be stretched tight across the opening of the vase.
• Print the scripture story visual aids. Cut the pages in half, and number the back of each page to help keep them in the correct order. (The scripture story visuals come from chapter twenty-three of Book of Mormon Stories.)
• Make an example slingshot. Cut two, thirteen inch pieces of cord or twine. Cut out a piece of thick cloth 1¾ inches by 4 inches. Put one inch of the cord on top of one end of the fabric. Gather the fabric around the cord end and tightly wrap a piece of tape around it. Wrap thick thread around the tape several times and tie it off. Do the same with the other piece of cord and the other end of the fabric. The fabric should form a pocket when you are done. Also make several paper balls by tightly crumpling 4 inch square pieces of paper. Try out the slingshot by using the instructions found in the lesson.

Attention Activity
Show the children the treat you brought. Point out how wonderful and mouth watering it looks. Take a bite and describe the texture and flavor; tell them how delicious it is. Ask the children how they would feel if you ate the treat in front of them and didn’t share.

Show the treats with the gospel blessing labels attached. Explain to the children that the labeled treats represent the many blessings they enjoy because they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Read the labels to the children. Ask if it would be fair or right if we kept the blessings of the gospel to ourselves and didn’t share with anyone else.

• Tell the children that you brought treats to share with each of them. Ask how that makes them feel. Inform the children that in today’s lesson they will learn of the joy experienced by the Lamanites when a missionary named Ammon shared the gospel with them.

Ammon was one of the sons of Mosiah. The sons of Mosiah desired to share the joy of redemption they had found in the gospel. They had sinned much in their youth. They had felt the sorrow and suffering that occurs when someone realizes the awfulness of their sins. They wanted to go on a mission and teach repentance to the Lamanites because they could not bear the thought of any human soul suffering the consequences of sin.

• If you were given the choice between serving a mission to a people who regarded you as their enemy or becoming a king with great power and honor, which would you choose? Mosiah was king of the Nephites and his sons were the heirs to the throne, but the sons of Mosiah gave up the throne to serve a mission to the Lamanites. Mosiah’s sons were taking on a very difficult task. The Lamanites were a wild and ferocious people, and they hated the Nephites.

Before leaving on their mission, the sons of Mosiah prepared diligently. They searched the scriptures, fasted, and prayed.

• Why did they search the scriptures, fast, and pray to prepare for their mission? (To help the children learn the answer to this question have them do the following role play activity.)

Role Play Activity
Choose a child to pretend to be an investigator, and give that child the list of questions they will ask. Have the other children take turns pretending to be missionary companions responding to the investigator’s questions. When they are done, ask the children if it was hard to answer the questions.

• How can someone gain the knowledge to answer those kinds of questions? Missionaries must study the scriptures to gain a knowledge and understanding of the gospel, and they must fast and pray for divine help in teaching and testifying about those gospel precepts.

The sons of Mosiah had searched the scriptures, fasted, and prayed so they could effectively teach the gospel with the Spirit and bring the Lamanites to a knowledge of the truth.

Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the pictures from chapter twenty-three of Book of Mormon Stories as visual aids. (Optional activity: Put the pictures on the board in random order and have the children choose a picture that depicts what happens next after each story part is told.)

When the sons of Mosiah arrived in the land of the Lamanites they separated and went to different parts of the land.

One of the sons, whose name was Ammon, went to the land of Ishmael. As he entered the land of Ishmael the Lamanites took him, bound him, and carried him before their king to decide whether he should be killed, imprisoned, or thrown out of their land. The king’s name was Lamoni.

Ammon told the king he wanted to dwell among the Lamanites. King Lamoni was so pleased with Ammon that he offered Ammon one of his daughters as a wife. Ammon declined the generous offer and said he would be the king’s servant. The king assigned him to help watch the flocks.

As Ammon and the other servants were driving the flocks to water, thieving Lamanites scattered the king’s flocks to plunder them. The servants were afraid. They said the king would kill them because the flocks were scattered and lost. They were so afraid they wept.

• In Alma 17:29 it says that Ammon’s heart swelled with joy when he saw the fears of the servants. Why do you think he felt that way? Ammon was looking for an opportunity to win the hearts of the servants and show them the power of God.

Ammon convinced the servants to search for the flocks and gather them back together. After they had gathered the flocks, the wicked Lamanites sought to scatter them again because they delighted in the destruction of others. Ammon told the servants to watch the flocks and that he would go and contend with the evil, trouble causing Lamanites.

The wicked Lamanites did not fear him. They thought one of their men could easily slay Ammon. Ammon began to cast stones at them with his sling.

Activity
• How does a sling work? Show the children the example sling you made. Demonstrate how to use it by holding one string firmly in your fist. Hold the other string in the same hand between your thumb and index finger. Put a paper ball in the pouch of the sling. Whirl the sling around your head and let go of the string between your thumb and index finger. Hold the other string tightly. Let a few of the class members try and throw a paper ball at a target. Ask them if it was difficult. (Teaching the Scripture Readers pg.75)

Ammon was probably very practiced at using a sling, but he also had the power of God with him. Ammon cast the stones with so much power and accuracy that he killed several of the evil Lamanites who were maliciously trying to destroy him and his companions.

The wicked Lamanites were astonished at Ammon’s power, but they were also angry because he had slain some of their companions They tried to throw stones at Ammon. They could not hit him because he was under the Lord’s protection, so they attacked him with their clubs. With his sword, Ammon smote off the arm of every man that lifted his club to smite him. The wicked Lamanites ran away in fear.

The servants told the king what had happened, and they showed him the arms that had been smitten off by Ammon. When the king learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and had heard of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished. The king thought Alma was more than a man, that he must be the Great Spirit.

Lamoni asked the servants where Ammon was. When Lamoni heard that Ammon was carrying out his orders to prepare the horses and chariots, he was even more astonished because of the faithfulness and diligence of Ammon.

When Ammon finished preparing the horses and chariots, he went to the king to ask what the king desired him to do next. The king did not answer him. Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, perceived the thoughts of the king. He asked the king why he was marveling at the deeds he had done. King Lamoni was astonished even more because Ammon could discern his thoughts.

King Lamoni asked Ammon if he was the Great Spirit. Ammon told him he was not, that he was just a man. Lamoni wanted to know by what power Ammon was able to do the things he had done.

Ammon taught Lamoni of God and told him that the Lord had given him the power to contend with the wicked Lamanites. Ammon also taught Lamoni many other things about God and about the words of God found in the scriptures. The king believed his words, and he cried unto the Lord for mercy and forgiveness.

• Would the king have listened to Ammon’s message if Ammon had tried to teach him the first time they had met? Why not? The king didn’t know Ammon then. He might not have trusted or believed the message because he didn’t know what Ammon’s intentions were.

• Why did the king believe Ammon after seeing his actions? Through Ammon’s actions the king got to know that Ammon sincerely cared about his welfare and the welfare of his servants. He came to trust Ammon.

When the king cried to the Lord for mercy, he fell to the earth as if he were dead. Lamoni lay as if he were dead for two days and nights. His wife and children mourned over him.

The servants were about to take his body to be buried, but Lamoni’s wife did not believe that her husband was dead. She sent for Ammon. Ammon told the queen that the king was not dead, and that on the next day he would rise.

The next day Lamoni rose according to the words of Ammon. The king said, “Blessed be the name of God.” Then he told the queen that he had seen the redeemer. He was filled with great joy.

Lamoni taught his people about Jesus Christ and God. Many who heard his words were converted. Those who believed were baptized and they became a righteous people.

Conclusion
The Savior once told his disciples, “Feed my sheep”, which means to teach the people and feed them spiritual food. While Ammon was on his mission to the Lamanites, not only did he feed and take care of the king’s flocks he also fed the people of the land spiritually.

• Remind the children of the treats at the beginning of the lesson, and ask if they remember what the treats represent. (The gospel blessings) Explain to the children that the Lord has asked us to share the gospel with others and help feed his children spiritual food so they can enjoy the blessings of the gospel too.

• Do you have to be an adult before you can be a missionary? Latter day prophets have told us that every person in the church should be a missionary. We should all share the gospel with the people we know and associate with.

Activity
Show the container with the sheep inside it. Point out the Kleenex, and explain that it represents the barrier that people put up against things they don’t trust or understand. Put some vegetables onto the Kleenex, and tell the children the vegetables represent the gospel, which is food for our spirits.

Tell the children they are going to do an activity where they will share ways to help feed Heavenly Father’s children. Remind the children of Ammon’s example and how he showed the king that he cared and that he could be trusted. Have the children think of ways they can show neighbors and friends that they care about them and that they are trustworthy. Also have the children think of ways they can be good examples of gospel standards. Have them take turns telling their ideas and then putting a marble or other weighted item on the Kleenex. (Eventually the barrier will break and the food will pour out.) (If the items you chose aren’t very heavy, have the children put several on the Kleenex each time they give an answer. Experiment with this activity before teaching the lesson.)

Explain to the children that each of our actions makes an impression, and when people realize they can trust us and that we care about them, then the barriers will come down and a way will open for us to share with them the spiritual food of the gospel.

Weekly Reading Assignment Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 17:19-39, Alma 18:8-43 and Alma 19:1-36

 

Jan 23 2012

Choose the Right: Song

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Choose the Right – Hymn #239

Preparation

  • Items needed:  2 poster boards, 5 sheets of paper that match the color of the poster boards, 1 small bag, 1 sheet of brightly colored heavy paper, removable double-sided tape, magnets.
  • Print and cut out the song pictures. Put the small pictures in the bag. Glue the picture of the girl and the picture of the boy onto a brightly colored heavy sheet of paper. Cut out to make a brightly colored border around each picture. Glue a strong magnet to the back of both those pictures.
  • Print the word strips onto the papers that are the same color as the poster boards. Cut out the word strips, and using the double-sided tape, place the first five word strips, evenly spaced, across the top of one of the poster boards. Center the matching pictures below each word strip, and glue them onto the poster board. Continue doing each row in this manner. When you come to the point where no more pictures or word strips will fit on one poster board, butt the next poster board against the last line and glue or tape the two poster boards together. (If the word strips and pictures have been butted up against each other from top to bottom, the rest of the pictures and word strips should fit perfectly on the next poster board.) Put the large picture on the last square. Note: Be careful to put the word strips in the correct order because they are not in the right order on the printed papers.

 

Presentation

Using strong magnets, attach the poster to the chalkboard. Explain to the children that the pictures on the poster will be used as visual aids for the song, and the poster will also be used as a game that will help them memorize the song.

In senior primary go through and explain the pictures and words of each verse. You may wish to have them sing each verse after discussing it.

In junior primary go through and explain the pictures and words of the first verse. Then have the children sing that verse, but have them pay attention to the order of the pictures and words as they sing. Explain that after they sing the verse you are going to have two or three of them come up and put the lines of that verse in order on the board. Use the pictures with the words (cut each page in half vertically) for this activity. Take the poster off the board before they do the activity.  Give the children magnets to attach the pages to the board.  Hold up the poster so only the children in their seats can see it, and have them sing the song while the three children are putting the verse in order. This helps the junior primary get familiar with the words before they play the game. Do the same activity with the chorus, the second verse, and the third verse.

Below are some suggested explanations of some of the pictures and words:

Verse One

“In its right the Holy Spirit guides. And its light is forever shining over you when in the right your heart confides.” – Ask the children if they know what this means. Explain that if they have a sincere desire to know what is right, and they are doing their best to do the right things, the Holy Ghost will guide them and help them, especially when they confide in heart-felt prayer the choices and things they need help with.

Chorus

“Let wisdom mark the way before.” – A picture of an owl is used to represent the word wisdom. Owls are symbols of wisdom because of their ability to see in the dark, which is symbolic of using wisdom to do the right things in a dark world full of difficulty and temptations.

Verse Two

“Let no spirit of digression overcome you in the evil hour.” – Digression means to veer off the path you are on. So the spirit of digression means to think about veering off the right path during a time of temptation. The evil hour is a time of temptation.

“Be safe through inspirations power.”-  If you follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost you will be safe from the harmful effects of wrong choices because you will be doing the right things and not the wrong.

Verse Three

“There is peace” – The picture shows a dove and an olive branch. One of the reasons the dove symbolizes peace is because the dove that Noah sent out of the ark came back with an olive branch, which meant that the world was at peace again, in many ways. Point out the picture of the world and ask, “If people around the world were choosing the right would their be any wars, anger, or hate?” Explain that they can find peace in their own lives as they choose the right – the peace of forgiveness, the peace from not feeling guilt, etc.

“There is safety for the soul.” When you are choosing the right you’re safe because your spirit isn’t being harmed by wrong and sinful choices. The boy in the picture represents being safe by obeying the laws and doing the right things.

Memorizing Activity Game

Once the words and pictures have been explained, and the children are familiar with the tune, play the following game to help them memorize the words. Show the children the pictures of the boy and the girl, and explain that they will use one or the other as the game piece that they will move across the board. Choose one of the pictures to use for the first time they play.

Show the children the bag and show some of the game pieces that are in the bag. Explain that there is a matching game piece in the bag for every picture on the game board (and a couple extra that are needed for certain pictures). Explain that the game starts at the top of the poster. A child will draw pictures from the bag until they find one that matches one of the pictures on the top row.  That person then puts the picture of the child onto that square. Another person (probably the next person in their class or row) draws pieces until they get one that matches a square next to the square the picture of the child is on. It can be to the right or left, or diagonally down to the right or left, or straight down.  They won’t want to go back up because the object of the game is to get to the square that says “Let God and heaven be your goal.” There is no game piece for the finishing square in the bag, so in order to move to that square they have to get a game piece that says CTR, because in order to return and live with God in heaven they have to choose the right while on earth.

All the children will be singing the song as the game is being played. They may have to sing the song several times before they get the picture of the child to the ending square, but as they get familiar with how the game is played you can have them try and get to the finishing square before they finish singing the song once.

Each time they sing the song take word strips off the game board. Start with taking all the  “choose the right” word strips off, then take off the word strips for “in its light”. Then work on each section of the song, such as taking off the word strips for the chorus, then the word strips for the first verse, then the second, and finish with the third.

Note: You may want the older children be the first ones to play the game, because it may take a few times before the younger ones understand how the game works.  You may also need to bring a stool so the younger children can reach the pictures at the top of the game board.

This activity will take several weeks to complete. To put some more variety in the activity, you may want to print off an extra set of the big pictures and use them to test the children. Stop playing the game now and then and take the poster board off the board. Have a couple children put the pictures of one of the verses or chorus in order on the board. They will have to sing it in their head to remember the right order. Have the other children be the judges of whether it is correct or not. If that is too difficult, use the pictures with the words at first to test them.

Note: I used several of the fun visual aids that Carrie on Sugardoodle used in her flip chart, so I appreciated her sharing her ideas.

Jan 15 2012

Temples: Preparing to Go to the Temple

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Table of Contents

Preparing to Go to the Temple

Liahona October 2010 “Your Path to the Temple” What happens inside the temple, the temple recommend, preparing now to enter the temple.

Friend December 2023 “Preparing for More Covenants”

Liahona October 2021 “Teaching Your Children to Love the Temple” Below are some simple ideas to help our children learn to love the temple as they prepare to make and keep covenants there.

For 3–7-year-olds:

  • Display a picture of the temple in your home.
  • Talk together about the temple.
  • Where possible, visit the temple grounds, touch the temple, or view temple photos online.
  • Draw or build a model of your temple with readily available materials such as stones and mud, clay, play dough, or blocks. Later, do it again for a different temple.
  • Engage in family activities provided on FamilySearch.org/discovery.
  • Act out meaningful family stories or make traditional family recipes. Explain the importance of knowing about our ancestors.

For 8–11-year-olds:

  • As a family, regularly read and discuss together the temple recommend interview questions. Encourage your children to be worthy of a recommend regardless of when they will be able to attend.
  • Teach about the power, protection, and importance of keeping covenants and promises.4
  • Review together information and videos at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, like the virtual tour of the Rome Italy Temple.
  • Share personal temple experiences or stories from family members, including extended family.
  • As your child turns 10 or 11, create a simple calendar to count down the days, weeks, or months until they can enter the temple.
  • Discuss together the scripture story of the Savior in the temple at age 12 (see Luke 2:42–51).
  • Create a plan to prepare for your child’s first visit to the temple. Where possible, make it a family event. To help your child feel more comfortable, include talking about the practical aspects of temple baptisms and confirmations, such as what to wear to and in the temple, where they will enter the baptistry, who will help them, how baptisms and confirmations are performed, and the order of what will happen inside.
  • Learn to do family history work and prepare family names to take to the temple.

Friend July 2022 “How Can I Get Ready for the Temple?”

Friend May 2023 “How Can I Get Ready for the Temple?” By Elder Quentin L. Cook

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 21–23; Mark 11; Luke 19–20; John 12”

  • Invite one or more youth to come to class and talk about how they have prepared to enter the temple. If they have been to the temple, ask them to talk about how they felt when they were there.

  • Cut a picture of a temple into puzzle pieces, and give each child one piece. Ask the children to write on the back of their puzzle piece one thing they can do to prepare to enter the temple. As each child shares an idea, add his or her piece to the puzzle.

Friend October 2021 “Build a Temple” Cut along the dotted lines to make a puzzle of what the Bangkok Thailand Temple will look like.

  • On the board, write the following:  can help me prepare to serve in the temple. Invite the children to suggest ways to complete this sentence. Some ideas might include “Keeping my baptismal covenants” or “The Holy Ghost.”

Friend October 2021 “Bright Idea” Look forward to the temple! Many blessings are waiting for you there.

As we take time to share our experiences with our children, talk about the power and protection that come from keeping covenants, teach them the importance of the temple, testify of how we feel inside its walls, and share stories of our ancestors, we can foster in them a love for the temple in their earliest years. As you teach your children to love and prepare for the temple, you will be giving them one of the greatest gifts you can—a knowledge that families are forever and a desire to make and keep covenants that will unite their family for eternity.

Friend October 2021 “Loving the Temple” When he was a boy, President Ezra Taft Benson knew the temple was important. You too can learn to love the temple now. You too can learn to love the temple now. Some of you have pictures of temples in your homes. Many of you can visit temple grounds. Some may even be able to attend open houses when temples are built. (See more about family work in temples at article.)

Invite a member of the bishopric or a youth in your ward to share some things the children can do to prepare to enter the temple. Ask the children to add their ideas. Invite them to make a goal to go to the temple someday. (Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “1 Corinthians 14–16” )

March 2002 Friend “A House of God” Cut out the temple, fold the sides up on the dotted lines, and glue the tabs to the insides of the walls to form a box. Cut out the scripture reference bricks. They mention some things you can do now to build your life so that you will be worthy to enter the temple. Place the bricks in the temple box. Have a child choose a brick from the box, read it out loud, and tell how they could live that principle. Have the child glue the brick to the outside of the temple. When you have read and attached all the bricks, the temple will be complete and you will have a reminder of what you can do to be prepared to enter the temple. (Could make a copy for each child and the children could glue their matching brick to their temple as it is discussed.)

Friend October 2002 “Signs for Temple Preparation” If you can follow the signs that tell you how to prepare to go to the temple, they will lead you through the maze to the temple. Signs that tell you to break the commandments will not lead you to the temple.

Friend March 2019  Put a picture of the temple in your room. Find someone in your family tree who hasn’t been baptized yet. Talk about the temple with someone who has been inside.

Friend July 2021 “For Older Kids” If you can’t go inside the temple yet, you can visit the temple grounds to sit, think, or read scriptures. If you don’t live near a temple, draw a picture of one and hang it up!

Friend November 2023 “Akoni Prepares for the Temple”

To help those preparing to enter the temple, you could review the videos, photos, and instruction found at temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Temple Recommend

Friend March 2024 “What Is a Temple Recommend?” The year you turn 12, you can meet with your bishop or branch president for a temple interview. If you both feel you are ready and worthy, he will give you a temple recommend. This piece of paper shows that you are worthy to go inside the temple.

Friend December 2023 “Together Always”

Friend October 2021 “A Holy Place” The words are on every temple. “Holiness to the Lord” reminds us that we need to be worthy to go inside. Ways to prepare to go to the temple.

To enter the temple, we need “clean hands, and a pure heart.”

PSALM 24 David testifies, The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, he who has clean hands and a pure heart will ascend unto the hill of the Lord, and the Lord of Hosts is the King of Glory.

Psalm 24:3–4

Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46” As the children look forward to entering the temple someday, help them understand that they can prepare by becoming spiritually clean through the Savior’s Atonement.

  • Show the children a picture of a temple. Invite them to read Psalm 24:3 and find words that remind them of the temple. Then read together verse 4 to learn who can enter the temple (define any unfamiliar words). How do our hands get physically dirty? How do our hands and hearts get spiritually dirty? How do we clean our hands physically? How does the Savior help us clean our hands and hearts spiritually? (If it is helpful, explain that “hands” in this verse can represent our actions and “heart” can represent our desires.)

For the Strength of Youth “Ascend into the Hill of the Lord”

Friend November 2022 “I Can Do What’s Right”

Recommend Interview

  • Review with the children the requirements to receive a temple recommend (see Russell M. Nelson, “Closing Remarks,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 120–22; or invite a member of the bishopric to discuss these requirements with the class). Invite the children to choose one thing they feel inspired to do to prepare to be worthy to enter the temple.

Friend September 2019 “What’s on Your Mind? The questions the Bishop or Branch President will ask during the temple recommend interview.

Friend October 2021 “Getting a Temple Recommend” s

Friend August 2016

Friend August 2016

Friend October 2021 “Ready for the Temple” Ajan will be turning twelve soon, but he lives far from a temple. Their ministering brother explained that he doesn’t get to go to the temple very often either, but his recommend reminds him to always be ready to go inside. Ajan wants to get a recommend and be ready too.

Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids” Temple Prep Tip: Even if you live far away from the temple, you can still get a temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Talk to a parent or leader about the temple recommend questions. What can you do now to prepare to get your recommend?

Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids”

Temple Prep Tip Even if you live far away from the temple, you can still get a temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Talk to a parent or leader about the temple recommend questions. What can you do now to prepare to get your recommend?

Friend October 2021 “Temple Countdown” You can receive your temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Follow these steps to find out how many years, months, and days you have until you can get yours.

Friend September 2021 “For Older Kids”

Temple Prep Tip: Even if you live far away from the temple, you can still get a temple recommend in January of the year you turn 12! Talk to a parent or leader about the temple recommend questions. What can you do now to prepare to get your recommend?

Practice Feeling the Holy Ghost

Friend July 2022 “For Older Kids”

First time to the Temple

Friend May 2023 “Answers about the Temple”

Friend July 2015

Friend October 2017 “Temple Trip Tips” List the things you would do under each of the below signs.

5 Tips for Your First Temple Visit

• Talk to a parent or teachers about what to expect.
• Look at pictures of the rooms inside the temple.
• Make an appointment with your bishop to get your recommend. He’ll talk with you about your testimony and about keeping the commandments.
• Find out about your own ancestors. If possible, find an ancestor you could be baptized for! Visit FamilySearch.org to learn more.
• Pray for the Holy Ghost to be with you. Then enjoy your first visit to the temple.

Friend October 2021 “My First Temple Trip” Elena’s step by step first visit to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.

Friend May 2023 “Temple Baptisms”

Friend November 2020 “Going Inside God’s House” Rachel was nervous about going to the temple for the first time to do baptisms. She said a prayer to feel more calm, and all the things she had worried about ended up being fine.

Friend May 2023 “Jimena’s Temple Miracle” Jimena and her parents were going to do baptisms in the temple for their ancestors, but Jimena was nervous because she wore an insulin pump to stay healthy. She took it off before going in the font and was blessed not to get sick while doing the baptisms.

Friend September 2019 “Peace in the Temple” Jose is a little nervous about his first time going to the temple. His grandmother assures him that there would be people there to help him the whole time. When he gets to the temple all his worries seemed to melt away. Everything was quiet and calm. He felt peace.

Friend October 2017 “Finding Lydia” Lydia isn’t excited to be graduating from Primary and going to Young Women’s, but she becomes more excited when her mother finds some family names for her to do baptisms for in the temple, and one is named Lydia.

Friend July 2016 “Abraham Abraham” A boy does baptisms at the temple for the first time and learns its importance.

image

For additional lesson ideas see Temple, Resources for Teaching Children: Temples, & Resources for Teaching Children: Nauvoo, Illinois

Friend January 2017 “For Older Kids” See yourself in the temple

Friend January 2017
  • Invite one child to read Doctrine and Covenants 88:68 aloud and another to read verse 74. Ask the children to listen for a phrase that is in both of these verses. How do we “sanctify” ourselves? (If needed, help the children look up “Sanctification” in the Guide to the Scriptures.) Draw a picture of a heart, a hand, and a foot on the board. Help the children think of what it might mean to “purify” and “cleanse” our hearts, hands, and feet. How does the Savior help us do this? How can we use our hearts, hands, and feet to become more like Jesus?
  • Explain that the Lord wanted His people to be sanctified before they could go into the temple. Consider inviting a young man or young woman who has a temple recommend to visit the class. Invite him or her to show the children what a recommend looks like, discuss what they do to live worthy of it, and share why it’s important to have a temple recommend even if we don’t live close to a temple.
  • Write on the board Do and Don’t. Invite the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119–26 and list things the Lord wanted the Saints to do or not do to prepare to learn in the temple. They could look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. Invite the children to choose something that they will start doing or something they will stop doing.

Friend November 2022 “Get Ready for the Temple!” Kids tell how they are preparing to go to the temple and what they expect. (See images at link.)

Friend September 2022 “For Older Kids” Practice keeping things clean

Friend October 2021 “Ready for the Temple” Ajan will be turning twelve soon, but he lives far from a temple. Their ministering brother explained that he doesn’t get to go to the temple very often either, but his recommend reminds him to always be ready to go inside. Ajan wants to get a recommend and be ready too.

Friend April 2017 “Prepare for the Temple Every Day” Sister Joy Jones prepared all her life to go to the temple.

Friend July 2022 “The Sweetest Goal” David can’t wait to go to the Dubai Temple when it is built. He was preparing by praying, reading the scriptures, and trying to follow Jesus. He tells his Aunt Ana about the temple and wants to invite her and his friends to come see it when it’s done.

Jan 5 2012

As a Child of God

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I changed this activity a little. I realized I needed to break the song down a little bit more to help the children learn it easier. To do this I cut strips in the colored cover pages. The top and bottom strips cover the words, and the middle strip covers the picture. I had the children cover the words of the page of the matching color on the wheel, and then choose a picture to cover on another page.  If the wheel landed on a picture that had the words covered already, the child covered the picture and chose words on another page to cover. I had the children sing the song every time after they did this.

This helped the children because they still had the picture to help remind them of the words. Eventually everything was covered, but it helped the children learn it in smaller bites. I used this method in Junior and Senior Primary and it worked perfectly each time. I am using this for the second week too when I teach the second and third verse. On the third week I will use the big wheel and all the verses. I will have them cover a whole page at a time and choose another page to cover too because they should know the song by then.

If you use this method you will have to use tape along the edge of the two pages to hold them together instead of tying them together. Tape each strip on individually so you can open and close each strip individually. You will also have to put magnets on the front edge of each strip.

Jan 4 2012

Lesson 15 – Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah

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Lesson 15
Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah

Preparation
• Items needed: a variety of fishing lures with hooks (or you can use the provided pictures of fishing lures), a nut in a shell placed in a small paper bag, chalk and eraser, a paper towel, a dry erase marker, tape or magnets, and two page protectors.
• Print and cut apart the scripture story visual aids. (The scripture story visual aids are from chapter twenty-two of Book of Mormon Stories. ) Also print and cut out the activity visual aids. Put the picture of the fishing pole and the picture of the children in the page protectors.

Attention Activity
Show the children the fishing lures (or the picture of fishing lures), and ask the children if they know what the items are used for.

Explain to the children that fishing lures are designed to attract and catch fish. Some lures are sparkly and shiny and some look like food (like bugs or small fish), but they are all traps. The lures are always attached to a hook. (Show the children the hooks.) When a fish takes the lure or bait they become hooked and can’t get away. Their lives are destroyed and they are devoured.

Satan also uses lures. His lures are appealing to people, and they are meant to entice us to sin. Many times we don’t see the danger or harm in his lures, and then we take the bait. When we take the bait and allow the hook to be set, then we’re caught. In today’s lesson we will learn about some of Satan’s lures and the destruction and damage that his traps can cause.

Scripture Story
Tell the following story using the scripture story visual aids.

As King Mosiah grew old he needed to decide who would replace him as king. His sons were the rightful heirs, but none of them wished to be king. They desired to go on a mission to the Lamanites and teach them the gospel. Instead of having a king, King Mosiah recommended to the people that they set up a system of judges. He gave them many reasons why judges would be better than having a king. The people were convinced of the truth of King Mosiah’s words, and they elected judges. Alma the younger was appointed to be the first chief judge in the land. He was also the leader over the church. His father had grown old and had conferred the leadership upon him. Alma the younger had become a strong and righteous leader in the church.

There was peace in the land for awhile. The members of the church were righteous and they prospered for a time, but then the members began to be lifted up in pride because of their riches.

• How does Satan try to lure people to sin because of riches?

o He tries to get people to think they were better than others because of their riches.
o He tries to get people to be selfish and not use their riches to help others.
o He tries to get people to think they received their riches because of their own ingenuity and not through the blessings of the Lord.
o He tries to tempt people to spend all their time seeking after riches instead of spending their time doing good things for others.

When Alma saw the problems that were occurring in the church, he selected a righteous man to take his place as chief judge. He then went among the people to preach the word of God. He wanted to help them remember their duty, and he wanted to expose Satan’s traps. After he got the church in Zarahemla in order, he began to travel to other cities to preach the word of God. One of the cities he went to was called Ammonihah. Satan had a great hold on the hearts of the people in Ammonihah, and they would not listen to Alma.

The people in Ammonihah had once been obedient members of the church, but they had allowed themselves to be influenced by the teachings of Nehor. Nehor was a Nephite that introduced priestcraft to the people. Priestcraft is when men preach to get gain and the praise of the world. They teach false and enticing things to attract people to follow them. The followers of Nehor taught that God redeems all men, and that he will give everyone eternal life regardless of what they do on the earth.

• Why do you think this type of preaching appealed to people? It meant that people could give into temptation because according to Nehor they could sin and still be saved. The people of Ammonihah allowed Satan to lure them with this false doctrine, and his hook and hold on them was great because of their desire for sin.

The people of Ammonihah reviled against Alma and cast him out of their city because the things he preached were in opposition to what they wanted to do.

Alma was very sorrowful because of the wickedness of the people of Ammonihah. As he travelled towards another city, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel told him to return to the city of Ammonihah. He was to preach to them and warn them that if they did not repent they would be destroyed.

• Do you think it would be hard to go back to a place where you had been treated cruelly? How did Alma react when he heard the news he needed to go back? (Read Alma 8:18) Alma returned speedily to Ammonihah.

• Why did Alma speedily return? He was always obedient to the Lord’s commandments, and he wanted to help the people of Ammonihah. He knew that if they did not repent they would be destroyed, and they would also suffer eternal consequences because of their sins.

When Alma entered into the city of Ammonihah, he was hungry because he had fasted many days for the people. He saw a man and asked him for food. The man said he knew that Alma was a prophet of God. The man had seen an angel in a vision, and the angel told him to receive Alma into his house. The man’s name was Amulek. He fed and took care of Alma at his house for many days.

• What might have taken place during the many days Alma stayed with Amulek? Amulek was probably being taught by Alma.

The Lord told Alma that Amulek also needed to preach and warn the people to repent. Amulek was a wealthy man with high standing in the community. He had many friends and family. He knew the ways of the Lord but had hardened his heart against them until the angel appeared to him. When the people heard Amulek’s story and heard him preach, they were astonished because there was more than one witness against them.

  • Ask the children if they think having more than one witness helped strengthen Alma’s message. Illustrate this concept by doing the following object lesson:

Object Lesson

Reach into the bag you brought and grab the nut. Show the children your closed hand. Explain to the children that there is something in your hand that can be eaten, but the thing that can be eaten has never been touched by human hands. Ask the children if they believe you. Show one of the children what is in your hand without letting anyone else see it. Have that child verify to the class that your statement is true. Ask the class if they believe you now. Show the class the shell covered nut.

• Point out that having more than one witness helped the children believe what you had told them.

Alma and Amulek warned the people that if they did not repent they would be utterly destroyed by the Lamanites. (Read Alma 9:18)

In Ammonihah many kinds of sins were being committed, including greed and corruption in the system of judges. The judges and lawyers often stirred up the people to rioting, disturbances, and all manner of wickedness because they were paid according to the amount of time they worked. They stirred up the people against Alma and Amulek so they might get more employ and more money. A man named Zeezrom was one of their most cunning lawyers. He, and other lawyers, tried to trick Alma and Amulek into saying contradictory things. Alma and Amulek had the spirit with them so they knew the thoughts of those trying to deceive them, and they could not be tricked.

Zeezrom was convinced of the power of God because Alma and Amulek had the power to know his thoughts and intents. Alma and Amulek talked to the people about the judgments of God after death. They told the people that they would be judged according to their works, words, and thoughts. After hearing Alma’s and Amulek’s preaching’s, Zeezrom began to tremble because of his guilt.

Activity
• Zeezrom was guilty of many sins. What kind of sins does Satan try to get people to commit? To use profanity, watch bad movies, disobey parents, cheat, steal, lie, listen to bad music, dress immodestly, use drugs, drink alcohol, to smoke, etc.

Explain to the children that Satan uses lures to try to get people to commit these sins. Put the tackle box on the board and the cut out cards of the lures below the tackle box. Put the fishing pole on the board, and have a child write one of the sins on the fishing line with the dry erase marker. Have the child then choose one of the lures that Satan might use to entice someone to commit that sin.

Tell the children that just as fishing lures are not what they appear to be, Satan’s lures are deceitful and false. They are lies meant to entice people into his traps so he can capture and hook them. (Discuss the ways that the lure is a lie.)

• When a person decides to commit a sin how do they become hooked? Their thoughts may dwell on the sin. They may want to try it again. Each time they do the sin it becomes easier to keep doing it. It then becomes a habit and a regular part of their life. They are hooked, and if they try to pull away it can be physically and emotionally difficult and painful.

Satan wants people to get caught and hooked in his traps so he can destroy their lives.

• In what ways does sin destroy and damage lives? ( (Put the picture of the children on the board next to the fishing pole. With the dry erase marker, have the child write a way that the sin might damage or destroy someone’s life on the picture of the children.) Answers may include: People may not trust them anymore. They lose the guidance, safety, and protection of the Holy Ghost. They may hurt those they care about with their actions and words; their relationships become broken and damaged. Their bodies can become damaged if it is a Word of Wisdom problem. They may end up having their freedoms taken away, such as being put in prison. They will lose the opportunity for eternal life unless they repent.

Erase the sin on the fishing line and have another child write a different sin on the line, choose a matching lure, discuss how the lure is a lie, and then write a consequence on the picture of the children. Continue in this way until all the children have had a turn, or all the lures have been used.

Conclusion
Sin always causes misery and unhappiness, and Satan wants us to believe that once we are caught by his lures and hooks there is no way to escape. But the Lord has provided a way we can escape: it is called repentance, and it may be painful and difficult. Imagine how a fish feels having a hook removed from its mouth. It can be very painful. But imagine how the fish feels if it is set free, back into the water. Removing the hook of sin from our lives may be difficult, but the wonderful feeling of being free from its destructive hold is worth the effort. But it is better if we never allow ourselves to be caught in the first place.

• What do we learn from the story of Alma concerning ways to prevent being caught in Satan’s traps?

o Alma preached the word of God to help expose the traps of Satan to the people. We need to learn the word of God by reading the scriptures and listening to the prophet so we can see and avoid the traps of Satan.
o When the wicked lawyers of Ammonihah tried to trick and tempt Alma and Amulek, the Holy Ghost warned and helped them and Alma and Amulek were not deceived. We need to seek for and listen to the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will warn us of danger.

Bear testimony that God provides guidance and help, but we need to seek for and follow His direction in order to avoid the destructive traps that are set by Satan.

Weekly Reading Assignment

Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 8:8–32, Alma 10:31-32, Alma11:20-25, and Alma 12:1-7

Dec 29 2011

As a Child of God: Song

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As a Child of God – Song

Preparation

  • Items needed: ribbon or yarn, 16 page protectors, magnets, two brads, and one of each the following colors of cardstock  – red, orange, blue, green, yellow, purple, brown, pink.
  • Print the song pages. Cut out the boy and glue him next to the arrow sign on the first page. Put the song pages into page protectors. Also put the colored cardstock into page protectors. Using pieces of ribbon or yarn tied through the page protector holes, attach one colored cardstock to the top of each song page. (Be sure to put brown, green, yellow and orange on the first verse to match the small choosing wheel.) Using glue or double-sided tape, attach strong magnets to the back of each song page. Then attach one magnet to the front of each colored cardstock page.
  • Print the choosing wheels onto cardstock. Cut out each of the blank wheels. Cut open the window boxes on the dotted lines with an exacto knife. Center each blank wheel over the top of its matching color dot wheel. Poke a hole with a pin through the center dot all the way through both wheels. Push a brad through the hole and spread out the brad arms in the back – not too tightly. Note: colored squares can be glued over the dots to match available paper.
  • EXTRA: Here is another choosing wheel for those who want to break the lessons up into three weeks. This wheel would be for the second and third verses and would be used the second week. The final week would use the large wheel and all the verses.

 

Presentation
This song is about two things. It tells us that good choices bless and strengthen our families, and the chorus reminds us that we have the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help us make good choices.

Week One
Put the song pages of the first verse on the board with the cardstock pages covering them. Uncover each song page as you discuss it.  (I have included discussion suggestions for each song line.)

 “I came to earth with power to choose.” – This means we were given free agency to decide what we will do on earth.

“Good choices bless me and my family too.” – Ask the children what choices would bless them and their family and why.

Have the pianist play the first two lines so the children can hear how they sound, then have them sing those lines.

“As a child of God I receive special light.” – This part of the song is the chorus and we sing this with each verse. It talks about a way we can receive help to know which choices are good and which choices are not good. (Ask the children to tell you what light they think the line is talking about, explain that it is a guiding light.)

“The Holy Ghost helps me to know what is right.” – In what ways does the Holy Ghost communicate with us and help us know which choices are right. (Through good feelings, thoughts, or we may even hear a still small voice.)

Have the pianist play the chorus lines so the children can hear how they sound, then have them sing those lines.  Then have the children sing all four lines of the first verse.

Memorizing Activity
Using the small wheel, do the following activity to help the children memorize the first verse. Put the wheel on the board and show the children that there are four different colored spots on the wheel. Have a child spin the wheel and open the window to show which color it landed on. That child covers up the song page with the matching colored cardstock. Sing the song again. Have another child spin the wheel. If it lands on the same color as before, they have to uncover that song line. If it lands on another color they have to cover up that one. Explain that the object of the game is to get every song line page covered up. (After singing the song for the first two spins they only have to sing the song every two spins after that.)

Adapted version of the memorizing activity.

Week Two
The following week put all the song pages on the board. Put each verse in a column and the chorus under the columns. Discuss the lines from the second and third verse, then sing the verses. Afterwards play the memorizing game using the large wheel and all the song pages. Use the same rules as the week before, except add some choices to the game. After they close or open the color that the wheel landed on, they also get to choose another color (or the color they landed on) to close. The object once again is to get all the pages closed.

“I feel so safe and happy because”– Have the children look at the picture. Ask if they think the child looks safe and happy in his father’s arms. Ask why they think the child feels safe and happy. (Because his father protects, takes care of, and loves him.)

 “Such feelings of peace come from family love.”– Point out that the picture of the family and heart remind them of the words family love. Also point out that we feel peace in our home when it is filled with actions that demonstrate our love for each other. What actions might disrupt peace in a home? (Fighting and bickering, selfishness, not helping each other, etc.) Remind the children that the Holy Ghost can help them make good choices in their families, and then review the chorus.

“In my own home I’ll happily serve.” – Why do you think people happily serve in their homes? Because they know that their service helps promote the feelings of love, peace, and joy in their homes.

 “I’ll strengthen my family by my good works” – What good works can we do to help strengthen our family? (Ask what the boy in the picture is doing and how that helps strengthen his family.)

NEW: I added to this idea to make it more effective. See “As a Child of God”  in the song list.

Personal Note: This site  http://mypianolesson.blogspot.com/was the inspiration for this activity. Thank you!